John m



(No Model.)

J. M. VANOE.

CRANK HANDLE FOR LIFTING JAGKS.

No. 287,198. PatentedOot. 23, 18832 FIG-1.

H65 FIGA:

Nrrnn TATES A'IENI rFIcE.

'CRANK-HANDLE FOR LlFTlNG-JACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,198, dated October 23, 1883.

Application filed August 21, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, JOHN M. VANCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eureka, Humboldt county, State of California, have invented a new and Improved Crank-Handle for Operating J ack-Screws or Lifting-Jacks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to those crank-handles of lifting-jacks which are rotated forward to run out the lifting-bar, and which heretofore have had either to be removed from the winding-stem of the jack entirely when the liftingjack.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a common form of jack,

' showing my improved handle applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the handle, drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a front view of the handle.

In all the figures of the drawings like letters of reference represent like parts.

A is the jack to which my invention is applied, the details of which it is unnecessary for me to show. B is the crank-handle to which my invention relates. G is a notched or ratchet wheel, which has a square hole through its center to fit the square winding-stem D of the j ack.

This ratchet-wheel is provided with a hub on the inside, next to the jack, turned off to eX- actly fit the round eye of the crank-handle. The lever part of the crank-handle is brought forward, so as to overlap and be flush with the face of the ratchet-wheel, and there is a stop or pawl, E, fitted into a recess therein in such a manner as to be freely pushed in and drawn out of the notches of the ratchet-wheel, there being a spiral spring, F, behind this.

pawl to force it into the notches when not held back by hand. This stop or pawl is held within the recess by a cap-plate, G, which covers it in part, and is made fast to the crank by tapscrews, as shown. The outer end of the pawl is hook-shaped, as shown, for convenience of pulling it out of the notches of the ratchet-wheel with the fingers. The other end of this pawl has a flange, H, which overlaps the ratchet-wheel at all times, whether the pawl be drawn out of any of the notches or inserted within one of them, so that by this provision the wheel and crank are securely held together, and the wheel may not slip forward out of'the crank-eye. There is a shoulder on the pawl at I, which strikes the capplate G just when the pawl is freed from the notches in the wheel, so that it can never be drawn so far back as to allow the flange H to uncover the wheel entirely.

The operation is as follows: When the crank is to be used to wind out the lifting-bar, the pawl is allowed to engage with one of the notches in the wheel. When thus engaged, any motion of the crank will be transmitted to the wheel, and the stem of the jack will be turned to operate on the lifting-bar. When it is desired to run the bar back, instead of removing the crank or allowing it to revolve backward, the fingers are inserted under the hook part of the pawl, which is pulled back out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel, and

the bar isv run down while the crank remains stationary.

If on an occasion there is not room enough to take a full swing of the crank, it may be used as a ratchetlever, making a quarter or half turn at a stroke.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

The' jack screw crank-handle herein de scribed, consisting of the'ratchet-wheel O, fitted to the stem D of the jack, the crank-handle. B, fitted to the hub of the said wheel, and the spring-pawl E, arranged together as and for the purpose substantially as set forth.

JOHN M. VANCE.

W'itnesses:

JAMES W. HOLT, J (K. DoLLIsoN. 

